Cat Stove: step 7

Now we light the stove for the first time. Fill the stove with 1oz alcohol, this is 4 caps full from a soda bottle. This will singe the fiberglass and help it stay in place, as well as help it conduct heat like a lantern mantle later.

The flame will start off small, but will eventually get to about 12" above the burner. Notice in the third picture the fiberglass isn't burning! This stove was burning at full height for 10 minutes when this picture was taken.

When the fire is out, the fiberglass insulation will have turned gray. This is normal.

This picture (above) was taken when the flame was almost out. This is the only time you can really see how the fiberglass works. When the flame is burning full, the light is too much to see this, but at this point the fiberglass is glowing like a weak lantern mantle. This is why the fiberglass is used, it helps to heat the alcohol, heated alcohol creates fumes which burn better than the alcohol itself does.

Go to the next step:

Step 1&2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Step 8

Step 9

Step 10